The Scarlet Letter
by shanileyba
Summary: From being the one of the most wanted thieves in the world to a savior of it. This is the Avengers movie with my oc, AJ aka the Scarlet Letter. Sometimes bad guys can make the best good guys.
1. Chapter 1

**RUSSIA, SOLENSKI PLAZA, 3RD FLOOR NIGHTTIME**

Out in the outskirts, near a railroad, a still in construction building is being occupied by Georgi Luchkov, a large russian general guy, along with his baddy thugs, Natasha Romanoff and a figure hidden in the shadows. The person has to watch as that tall thug is brutally beating on her sweet Natty, the SLEWING, FOXY, UNBELIEVABLY SEXY SPY while she is stuck hanging from rafters in the shadows recording the whole event. He backhands Nat's face. She feels the pain, but does not breakdown. Luchkov, smiling, walks up to her. The figure listens and tries to understand what they are saying, but can't understand russian.

"This is not how I wanted the evening to go." Luchkov says to the tied up redhead.

"I know how you wanted this evening to go. Believe me, this is better." She retorts.

"I'd like to know why they sent you to carry out a carrier," a stained glass and other random items. One of the thugs rocks her chair back, balancing her off the edge of an open floor. Natasha now pretending to be scared while the hidden lady breath hitches and lips curl.

"I thought General Soholob was in charge of the export business."

"Soholob? Your reputation is quite a progression. THE FAMOUS BLACK WIDOW. Nothing but a pretty face."

"You really think I'm pretty?" Luchkov slowly walks over to a table filled with tools. He picks up a pair of pliers. The tall thug opens up her mouth wide open.

"We do not need the Lermontov to transfer the tanks. Tell him, well,..." The figure straightens ready to spring into action, knowing well the spy doesn't need help.

 **"** You may have to write it down." Luchkov finishes in english.

Suddenly, weaselly thug's cell rings. Confused, he answers. **"** Ya?" He looks at Luchkov "It's for you." He takes the phone, pissed.

 **"** Who the hell is..."

 **"** You're at 114 Solenski Plaza, 3rd floor. We have an F22 exactly 8 miles out. Put the woman on the phone or I will blow up the block before you can make the lobby."

Luchkov places the cell phone against Natasha's ear seeing how she's tied to a chair with her hands tied behind her back.

 **"** We need you to come in."

"Are you kidding? I'm working!" Natasha spats at the caller.

 **"** This takes precedence."

"I'm in the middle of an interrogation and this moron is giving me everything."

"I don't give everything." Natasha gives him a look.

"Look, you can't pull me out of this right now."

"Natasha. Barton's been compromised." The spy freezes at the statement, as the hidden person observes the events not understanding what is happening.

 **"** Let me put you on hold." She nods to Luchkov, who comes to take the phone off her, Natasha hits him with her leg and headbutts him. Like a spider, she stands up elegantly and starts the tall thug by kickboxing him in the face. Still tied, she rolls over weaselly thug after she trips him. She then stomps on tall thug's foot with peg of the chair, then knocks him out with a headbutt.

During all this Coulson is still waiting on the line. She then flips over and falls down hard on weaselly thug, breaking the chair. She sees tall thug stand. Giving her momentum, she runs at him drop kicking him, falls down and flips right back up and wraps her legs around his neck a knocking him out cold **.** She grabs Luchkov, wraps his leg around with a hanging chain and drops him down the open floor, dangling. She picks up the phone and her heels, like a boss. The unknown figure grinning widely since the battle started.

"Where's Barton now?"

"We don't know."

"But he's alive."

"We think so. I'll brief you on everything when you get back. But first, we need you to talk to the big guy."

"Coulson, you know that Stark trusts me about as far as he can throw me."

"No, I've got Stark. You get the big guy."

"Bozhe moi." Natasha says to herself as looks up at the cielling and yells. "Scarlet!"

"That be me, my deadly darling." A woman flips right onto the floor in front of the redheaded spy. Just like Natasha she has red auburn hair, which was tied into a messy ponytail that complemented her short red dress that showed her healthy long waisted and impressively lean body. Her heels still on her feet, and a micro video recorder in her hand.

"So~ What's going on?" Scarlet asked as she bounced happily on the balls of her heels and tossed the recorder to Nat. "All I got from the english parts of that fight was Coulson called you about Barton. And we need to get the BIG guy. Is Clint all right?"

"Barton has been compromised." Natasha said as she and Scarlett headed out of the building. Scarles's grin dropped for a second only to spring back up.

"And we have to save him?" Scarles's said as she marched to the exit with her hands at the back of head.

"Yep."

"Do I get to smash something?"

"Likely."

"Do we have enough time to change out of these itchy dresses, so I can put my shorts on?"

"Yes." Natasha stops to look back at Scarlet who had stopped. "What are you doing?"

"Checking out that body of yours in that sexy black dress." Scarlet said like it was the simplest thing in the world, which for her it was.

"Thank you."

"Where we going next?" Scarles asked as they spotted the car. "Can I-"

"We are going to India and no you can't drive."

"Booooo~~~"


	2. Chapter 2

**India Slums Shack**

"Should have got paid up front, Banner." Bruce said.

Natasha and Scarlet then step out from behind the curtains. Banner turns around, quietly.

"You know, for a man who's supposed to be avoiding stress, you picked a hell of a place to settle." Nat says trying to keep the conversation calm.

"I know, right. This place is probably one of the most stressful place in the world to be right now, I mean with all noise-" Scarlet was cut by Natasha cramming a chocolate bar in her mouth, that she happily started munching on.

"Avoiding stress isn't the secret. Is she alright?" He said pointing to the happily purring Scarlet that was now sitting crosslegged on the table.

 **"** Then, what is it? Yoga?"

"Candy?" Scarlet said between her munching.

"You brought me to the edge of the city, smart. I uh... assume the whole place is surrounded?" Bruce stated as he scanned for any other people in the shack.

"Just you and us." Scarlet answered as she jumped off the table landing right next to Banner. "I'm more than enough to handle you, big boy." Winking at the cute scientist.

"And your actress buddy, is she a spy too? Do they start that young?"

"I did."

"Spying, no. Thieving, yes." The girls replied.

"Who are you?"

"Natasha Romanoff."

"AJ. Just AJ." Scarlett said.

"Are you here to kill me, Miss Romanoff, Miss AJ? Because that's not gonna work out for everyone."

"No. No. Of course not. We're here on behalf of SHIELD." Natasha told , Scarlet nodding in rely.

"SHIELD. How did they find me?"

"We never lost you, dear doctor. We've kept our distance, even helped keep some other interested parties off your scent." Scarlet answered with a smirk.

"Why?"

"Nick Fury seems to trust you. But now we need you to come in." Natasha said.

"What if I said no?"

"I'll persuade you."

"And what if the... other guy says no?"

"You've been more than a year without an incident. I don't think you wanna break that streak."

"I don't always get what I want."

"Then I have to step in." Scarlet smiled at Bruce. "And trust me I am stronger than I look, Dr.B."

"Doctor, we're facing a potential global catastrophe." Scarlet made a ka-boom sound and gesture to amplify the severity.

"Well, those I actively try to avoid."

"This is the Tesseract. It has the potential energy to wipe out the planet." She shows him a photo of the Tesseract on her cell phone. Banner takes a closer look.

"What does Fury want me to do? Swallow it?" cause to AJ to burst out laughting.

"Well, he wants you to find it. It's been taken. It emits a gamma signature that's too weak for us to trace. There's no one that knows gamma radiation like you do. If there was, that's where I'd be."

"Not me, bet the other person isn't as cute." AJ added.

"So Fury isn't after the monster?"

"Not that he's told me."

"And he tells you everything?"

"Talk to Fury, he needs you on this."

"He needs me in a cage?"

"No one's gonna put you in a..."

"STOP LYING TO ME!" The thunderous tone in is voice makes Natasha grab her gun and AJ raised her arms in a fighting stance, but something is now off in the atmosphere. Banner stands straight up, smiling.

"I'm sorry, that was mean. I just wanted to see what you'd do. Why don't we do this the easy way, where you don't use that and you don't punch back, and the other guy doesn't make a mess? Okay? Natasha, AJ..."

Natasha, still wary, doesn't lower her gun. When she finally lowers her gun, while AJ lowers her fists, and speaks into her earpiece.

"Stand down. We're good here." Outside the shack were dozens of SHIELD agents that were armed for the worse.

Banner looks at Natasha and AJ, charming a smile at them. "Just you and me?" Natasha fidgets now that she exposed her guard down. While AJ just keeps smiling at the good doctor.


	3. Chapter 3

**Stark Tower**

"Oh come on Pepper don't go yet" yelled out Tony Stark as his business director and good friend walked off. As she was leaving Pepper looked back and replied with a smile "Work hard Tony." and she entered the elevator. As the doors closed Tony continued "Wait Pep-" but it was too late as the elevator descended.

Tony walked back to his desk muttering to himself "Women. Just when I think I've got them sorted. Some world ending disaster cock blocks you. JARVIS pull up the SHIELD data."

"SHIELD data loaded" replied Tony's computerized system in an English accent.

Tony approached the laptop left for him by agent Coulson and pulled up the screen into a holographic 6 screen formation surrounding him. Tony looked around and began examining the screens "Hmmm lets see what old Fury been up to. Project Avenger - to bring together a team of unique individuals in the event where standard means of operation would prove insufficient. So Fury wants me on his team of superheroes, and here I thought I didn't play too well with others".

Stark continued overlooking the files changing from screen to screen.

"Ok lets see now. We have Agent Barton/Hawkeye. Bow and arrow, gifted acrobat, special agent blah blah blaaaa, currently hostile. Then we have my friend the Black Widow or Natalya Romanov or even Natalie Rushman in my case. Level 12 SHIELD special agent, soviet super spy with red room training, JARVIS switch screens before I throw something expensive at her photo"

"Changing screens" Jarvis replied.

"Ok who's next, Captain America himself, stars and stripes, shield and the whole package. Might check this out later. Now who's this weird looking dude. This can't be right it says Loki the god of mischief himself and the video shows him in mexico not too long ago fighting some glam rock guy. This character appears to be our primary hostile, might look into him later I just don't have the concentration this late. Ok last one here before bed, well hello there another redhead this one looks interesting. Wow she's pretty flexible. Jarvis bring up file and not a word to Pepper".

"Yes sir" replied the computer voice.

The screen enlarged and Tony started reading the statistics:

\- Name - AJ aka Scarlet Letter.

\- Hair- Auburn.

\- Height - 5"6.

\- Eye color - Brown.

\- Age - 24.

Tony looked intrigued and thought to himself "Two sets of statistics this is odd. Wow what have we here list of powers and demonstration videos. Roll video". The first screen came up and read

 _Powers and abilities:_

\- Invulnerability.

\- Incredible agility and acrobatic skills.

\- Energy Absorption & Manipulation

\- Hair has incredible tensile strength able to support up to half a ton of weight.

\- Enhanced flexibility.

\- Advanced training with weapons & hand-to-hand combat.

\- Master Thief

 _Possibility of side effects from powered abilities/training:_

\- Possibly Psychotic

\- High level of spatial intelligence.

\- Violent tendencies.

\- Poor impulse control. Unpredictable.

\- Poor social skills with men.

STATUS: UNKNOWN

Tony Stark reads on and watches the accompanying video footage showing Scarlet surviving multiple conditions including firearms, extreme heat and cold and jumping off tall buildings or planes without a parachute. He was watching one of the social skills training videos.

"AHHHHHHH" said the man on the video that Scarlet had stabbed in the leg with a fork after he tried flirting with her, then she jumped out the nearest window. Tony noted not to mess with her when there are pointy things around.

Tony continued to go through the video footage of Scarlet in action from absorbing the force of an attack to breaking into the most high tech compounds and some actual footage of her stealing famous jewels or artwork. He was a little too interested in the footage of her sneaking her past lasers by using her enhanced flexibility, specifically when she brought her foot up to her head from the front.

When he finishes Tony sits back and says "Jarvis call Pepper I wanna bounce some ideas around. I can't sleep knowing there's some crazy flexible girl out there who could go up against Iron Man".

Jarvis replies "May I remind you sir that it is 11:30pm and Miss Pepper is currently driving to the airport".

"Fine I won't bother her but at least I'm glad she's on our side. But I still don't trust SHIELD" said Tony.


	4. Chapter 4

EXT. HELICARRIER LANDING STRIP DAY

The deck of the floating carrier was a whirlwind of activity as Natasha and Aj waited for the quinjet. Everywhere AJ looked, SHIELD agents were working on something or other. Though some agents paused to look at Aj's outfit, which consisted of black booty shorts, a black cropped t-shirt with a scarlet 'A' on the chest, mid calf black converse with red laces, black and white kneesocks, black elbow/knee pads, and taped up hands.

"So~~~ What are we doing here again?" Aj asked as she nuzzled Nat's neck with her head.

"We're here to greet Steve Rog-..." Nat replied until she saw the 'who-is-that' look on Aj's face. "...Captain America."

"OHHHHHHHH! Is he cute? I bet he's cute! Do you think he's tall or short? Is he blonde, brunette, or a redhead? Is big or scrawny or-" Aj was cut off by Nat's hand over her mouth.

"I will take my hand off only if you promise to behave and licking my hand won't help."

Aj nodded her head and Nat removed her now wet hand. Then the quinjet's ramp began to open. Aj straightened up to match Natasha's posture and stance only she had a huge grin on her face.

At the bottom of the quinjet's ramp stood the most beautiful red heads Roger's had ever seen. They both looked like polar opposites to the super soldier. One smiling and hyperly waving at him, the other calm and collected waiting with crossed arms. But he knew there was also something more to the women than just their beauty. He had a feeling that the red heads were far more dangerous then how they seemed.

"Colsy!" Aj yelled before running and jumping on Coulson's back, clinging to him like a koala. "I've missed you! Everyone her is all 'don't this', 'don't that' and blah blah blaaaaaaaaaah."

"Aj"

"Yes Coulsy?"

"Of course, if you promise to let me drive the quinjet some-" Nat had pulled Aj off before she could finish.

"Agent Romanoff, Agent Aj" Coulson presented after having Aj finally get off his back, "Captain Rogers."

"Ma'ams." Steve nodded respectfully.

Agent Romanoff sized him up, assessing him with a discerning eye. While Agent Aj was crawilng over him and seemed to be checking for hidden objects.

When Romanoff and Aj seemed to have found what they was looking for, Natasha responded coolly, "Hi."

"Hi my name is Aj but you can call me anytime you want, super hunk?" Aj said from her place on Steve's shoulders. Only to be pulled off the blushing soldier by Natasha, who wasn't affected by Aj's outburst.

Turning to Agent Coulson, "They need you on the bridge."

With a "see you there", Agent Coulson left Rogers with one of the most deadly assassins on SHIELD's payroll and the one of the most wanted thiefs in the world.

"There was quite the buzz around here, finding you in the ice," Natasha began conversationally as the two strolled over the deck. "I thought Coulson was going to swoon. Did he ask you to sign his Captain America trading cards yet?"

Steve looked at her askance, "Trading cards?"

"They're like super super super old and rare," Aj confirmed. "He's very proud."

From across the way, they noticed a man apart from all the uniformed SHIELD personnel. He wore a crumpled gray suit with a wrinkled purple button down shirt. His disheveled mop of dark brown hair was peppered with premature gray and his face was lined with care lines. Everywhere the man turned, he seemed to run into someone. He looked and acted like a mouse surrounded by cats. And all of a sudden, Rogers realized who he was.

"Dr. Banner/Dr.B," Steve and Aj called out as they walked over and offered his hand to the skittish man.

Dr. Banner gave the proffered hand a wary look before finally deciding to accept it, "Oh, yeah. Hi. They told me you'd be coming."

"Word is you can help find the cube."

"Is that the only word on me?" Banner asked uncomfortably.

"Only word I care about," Steve confirmed.

"Must be strange for you, all of this." Bruce replied as he took in the sentiment from the previous statemnet.

"Well, this is actually kind of familiar."

From behind them, Agent Romanoff cleared her throat. Aj had mischievous glint in her eye, she addressed the group of uncanny individuals, "You all may want to step inside in a minute. It's going to get a little harder to breath."

A low rumble began to shake the deck of the carrier. The exterior of the ship became a whirlwind of activity as many SHIELD agents frantically finished their tasks before making their way into the bowels of the structure while others donned strange breathing masks. From the side of the ship an odd whrrring sound could be heard.

"Is this a submarine?" Steve asked, amazed.

"Really?" Bruce asked skeptically. "They want me in a submerged, pressurized container?"

Aj quickly ran toward the edge of the carrier and smiled back at the group. "You guys may want to see this," she said, motioning at the men to join her.

Together, they peered over the edge and into the water. Far below them a large turbine was churning the water, creating a deafening noise as it whipped the wind around their faces. Slowly, the propeller lifted itself out of the water, taking the carrier with it.

"Oh no," Bruce yelled sarcastically over the noise of the machine and forced a smile, "This is much worse!"

"I know, ain't it great!" Aj beamed.

As the group made their way across the deck of the Helicarrier, Rogers and Banner noticed how happy and energetic Aj was. He watched as the woman skipped along, finding it hard not look at her outfit and body that stretched as she moved.

The four entered the main control room.

"Gentlemen." Fury said to Bruce and Steve.

"Patchy!" Aj shouted as they reached the large glass table, and Fury turned from the monitors.

Steve slipped Fury 10 bucks, referring to his earlier statement about never being surprised again, before he continued walking past him a ways. Fury looked at Bruce. "Doctor, thank you for coming."

"Thanks for asking nicely. So, uh...how long am I staying?" Bruce asked.

"Once we get our hands on the Tesseract, you're in the clear."

"Where are you with that?" Bruce asked. Fury pointed to Phil to explain.

"We're sweeping every wirelessly accessible camera on the planet. Cell phones, laptops." Steve looked utterly confused making Aj laugh. She knew the poor guy was out of his time and this one was extremely different. "If it's connected to a satellite, it's eyes and ears for us." Natasha moved over to a computer screen where Barton's face trace was in progress. She checked the stats.

"That's still not gonna find them in time." Natasha said.

"You have to narrow the field." Bruce said. "How many spectrometers do you have access to?"

"How many are there?" Fury asked.

"Call every lab you know, tell them to put the spectrometers on the roof and calibrate them for gamma rays." Bruce said taking off his jacket and folding it under his arm. "I'll rough out a tracking algorithm based on cluster recognition. At least we could rule out a few places. Do you have somewhere for me to work?"

"Agent Romanoff, would you show Dr. Banner to his laboratory, please." Fury said.

"You're gonna love it, Doc. We got all the toys." Natasha said.

"Agent Aj, I believe your help is needed in the lab as well." Fury said. Natasha motioned for Aj to follow.

"Aye,aye, Captain One Eye" Aj said as she gave Fury a salute then left with Natasha.

The three entered the lab and Aj quickly made her way to the table where her desk and chair were. She hopped onto her chair.

Aj POV

As Bruce typed away almost mindlessly at his station in the back of the lab near the window, every once in a while furrowing his eyebrows or shaking his head. I sat at on the table across the room from him, swinging my legs and enjoying some chocolate that Nat gave me. Seriously, how do people go ten minutes without one of these delectable treats? Any hoodles I was getting bored so time do something.

"Are you almost done or something?" I asked, tilting my head.

His hand twitched slightly at the sudden noise, but other than that he didn't react much. "Might be a few hours."

"Then I say we play a game!" I shouted towards the ceiling.

"Why?"

"Because this is SO boring." After some nagging he finally agreed.

I grinned, thinking a moment before my next question. "Are you afraid of heights?"

My statement must have started him because then he asked "What do you mean?"

I shrugged and jumped from the table to walk closer to him. "You did't seem like you wanted to be one the Helicarrier. Only reason I could see why is that you do't like heights."

He scoffed at that, looking from the screen to me. "Its not heights, it's being trapped with other people and no where to go."

"Because of the whole little green monster problem."

"I think your the first person to call the other guy 'little'."

He seemed to chuckle a bit at that, and I smiled. "You have a nice laugh, very airy. It's cute." He stopped chuckling when I said that and cleared his throat, turning back to face the monitor. "Now I have to ask you question, right?"

"Yep." I said popping the 'P'.

"Ok, been wondering this for a while. What's with the outfit?"

"Don't it make me look perty." I said using my hillbilly accent.

"Extremely." He laughed again and ran his hands down his face. "Has anyone told you your something else?"

"Most people that have known for more than 5 minutes. I mean not many people would try to make me or get me to laugh. Probably too afraid that I would get angry."

I took a step forward and offered him some chocolate. "I don't care who you are when you're angry. Everybody is scarier when they're angry, you should see Natasha." I say as shiver runs up my spine. "But don't get me wrong, I usually make people REALLY angry."

He broke a piece of chocolate from the bar, and I shrugged as my arm fell to my side. "But I do love the turning green part. Gamma radiation, huh? Been there done that got the t-shirt."

When he was over his astonishment over my little comments he turned back to his screen. Seeing that my security and tracking programs were still running smoothly, I decided to check back in on the bridge.

Walking back down the hall, I heard Coulson say, "I mean, if it's not too much trouble."

"No, no it's fine." Entering the bridge, I saw that it was Steve who had answered him.

Coulson nodded before turning back to Steve. "It's a vintage set." I giggled, he was talking about his training cards. "It took me a couple of years to collect them all." He really needs to get laid. "Near mint, slight foxing around the edges, but…"

'I rather have you sign my face, Mister.' I thought. I pretty sure I was snickering.

"We got a hit." Agent Sitwell said. "Sixty seven percent match. Wait, cross match, seventy nine percent."

"Location?" Phil asked.

"Stuttgart, Germany. 28, Konigstrasse. He's not exactly hiding."

"Captain, you're up." Fury said. Steve nodded and left the room. "Agent Aj, you come too."

"Finally some action!" I fistpumped.


	5. Chapter 5

On the quinjet agent Aj sat with Steve Rogers in a very tense awkward silence for half an hour and so finally she decided to break the tension. "So you're the great Captain America, like THE Captain America with the shield. The one that punched Hitler in the face."

Steve replied "Yes that's me. Steve Rogers, super soldier and star spangled man. FYI I punched him more than once."

Aj smirked and continued "Well Stevie, I'm going to call you Stevie, I think it's an amazing pleasure to be here by your side and I am very honored."

"A pleasure Ms. Aj."

"I gotta say you are really calm for a guy thats family and friends are probably pushing up daisies and now being made to fight for the some secret government agency some the world isn't destroyed by some pretty boy alien."

"AJ!" Natasha shouted from the piloting chair. She REALLY had work with Aj on social skills. Though what shocked even more than Aj's comments was that Steve laughed about it.

Steve leaned forward and replied to her "It's easy to stay calm after all the things you just said. Like you said I served and fought for my country beside many fine soldiers, I took down the red skull and after I wake up after 70 years of deep freeze I wasn't too happy with the world. So after all that I'm pretty sure I can take a alien with a stick to find a building block."

"You weird." Aj stared him down then smirked and put him in a headlock. "I like you. I think we will get along just fine."

Steve then asked "So what's your story agent. Are you the newest super soldier"?

"Kind of, sorta, to some extent I guess." Aj asked as she avoided Steve's eyes andbit her lip.

"No Captain she is not the latest super soldier" replied Natasha. "No one has ever managed to replicate Dr Erskines super soldier serum so some people chose to take alternative routes."

"So what's her story then? Another volunteer desperate to serve uncle sam?" Steve curiously asked.

"MY story is that I got some stupid serum. I was still to weak for THEIR standards and they decided to give me a gamma radiation power up. When I still didn't meet their standards they threw me away like some dime store-" Aj stopped herself and took calming breaths. "I made a name for myself, doing some not particularly legal things, met Natasha and now I'm here. The End."

Captain America looked confused. "How exactly did you meet Agent Romanoff?"

"She/I threw me/her out a window." Nat and Aj said at the same time. Steve made sure to ask later.

Later over Stuttgart.

Steve and Aj were still in the quinjet that Natasha was piloting. They saw a large group of people kneeling before Loki who was in his Asgardian garb.

"Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state?" Loki asked as he walked through the crowd. "It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made- to be ruled. In the end- you will always kneel." A German old man gets to his feet.

"Not to men like you." The man said.

"There are no men like me." Loki said.

"There are always men like you."

"Look to your elder, people. Let him be an example." Loki raised his specter to blasted at the old man. Aj quickly jumped from the jet when she saw what was about to go down. Steve grabbed his shield before he jumped from the quinjet. He blocked the blast with his shield and Aj blocked with her palm causing it to fly back and knock Loki down.

"You know, the last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing." Steve said.

"And did'nt anyone teach you to respect your elders, pretty boy." Aj added.

"The soldier." Loki rose to his feet. "The man out of time." Loki said. "And a wench."

"I'm not the one who's out of time." Steve said.

"I don't even know what a wench is." Aj yelled. Suddenly Natasha appeared in front of him in the quinjet. A machine gun unfolded from the underside of the aircraft pointed towards Loki.

"Loki, drop the weapon and stand down." Natasha said over the ship's speaker. Loki fired at the jet and it banked hard to avoid the hit. Steve threw his shield at Loki, which bounced off his chest, before catching it and punching Loki in the face. The two fought; Steve was knocked back and he threw his shield at Loki again. Loki knocked the shield to the side and forced Steve down with his scepter.

"Kneel!" Loki shouted.

"Not today!" Aj jumped on Loki's back and held onto his neck, trying to crush it. There places were switched when Loki teleported and had his wrapped around her neck. His other hand pointing the sceptar at her face.

"Hey, you're actually kinda cute." Aj said tilting her head to look at Loki's face next to hers. Loki blinked again before looking angry due to Aj sinking her teeth into his arm. He released her and she hit him with a spin kick to the stomach.

"YOU DARE!?"

"Yeah, I dear, I double dog donut dare!" Then a shield was thrown at Loki. "So does he!"

"The guy's all over the place." Natasha said watching Steve and Rikku fight Loki, from the aircraft. Suddenly she heard Tony Stark's voice.

"Agent Romanoff, did you miss me?" Tony Stark asked. The computer screen showed the message: PA SYSTENS OVERRIDE and AC/DC's 'shoot to thrill' began to play. Steve looked up confused and Aj banged her head to the music. Natasha smiled heavily as Tony flew over in his Iron Man suit and blasted Loki to the ground. Tony stood up and pointed his weapons from his suit at Loki. "Make your move, Reindeer Games." Loki's Asgardian garb faded away and he put up his hands in surrender. Tony's weapons went away. "Good move." Natasha landed the quinjet in the background.

"Mr. Stark." Steve said.

"Captain." Tony said. He did a double take at Aj. "Hello Scarlet Letter." He said giving her a once over, stopping at long legs.

"Hey tin can man." Aj said.

"Iron Man." He corrected with a slight frown that no one saw but heard slightly in his voice. Aj looked at Loki, she grabbed him by the collar and pulled him towards the quinjet. "Time to get going, pretty boy. Before you do something really stupid."

Tony, Aj, Steve and Natasha were taking Loki, who was sitting subdued, back to the Helicarrier in the jet. Steve and Tony were standing, Aj was sitting next to Loki and Steve didn't have his cap on. Tony stood still in his suit bit with his helmet removed.

"Is he saying anything?" Fury asked over the radio.

"Not a word." Natasha said.

"Just get him here; we're low on time."

"I don't like it." Steve said.

"What? Rock of Ages giving up so easily?" Tony asked.

"I don't remember it being that easy. This guy packs a wallop."

"Still, you were pretty spry, for an older fellow. What's your thing? Pilates?" Tony asked.

"What?" Steve looked confused.

"It's like calisthenics. You might have missed a couple things, you know, doing time as a Capsicle."

"Fury didn't tell me he was calling you in."

"Yeah, there's a lot of things Fury doesn't tell you."

"He's got you there, Stevie." Aj added.

After a few minutes Aj stood to stretch here legs. She was charged with sittng next to Loki, though she was more occupied with the Iphone in her hand reading fanfics. Though the god next to her kept staring at her, which was pissing her off.

"If you don't stop staring I will rip out your eyes and feed them to you." Aj hissed not taking her eyes off her phone.

"Something the matter, Agent?" Steve asked shocked by the sudden threat.

"He is the matter." pointing at Loki. "He keeps staring at me and it's wierd and creepy."

Tony Stark in armour without helmet checks her out head to toe and yells "Loki look away. Others want to enjoy the view too."

Aj responded with a piercing gaze as Tony said "Hey you're the one putting yourself on display with that outfit."

"Kiss my perfectly toned ass, you pervs." Aj stated, which made Loki and Tony tilts their heads to look at Aj's nice shapely rear in her tiny shorts.

"I will rip off your arms and beat you to death using them."

"Feisty. Though your chest is lacking considerably." Loki commeted causing Aj to be restrained by Steve.

"JUST LET ME KILL HIM! WE CAN FIND THE CUBE SOME OTHER WAY! IT WILL BE MUCH EASIER IF YOU JUST. LET. ME. KILL. HIM!" Aj eyes were blood red and her hands were flarring with energy.

"Stand down, Aj. We still need him." Nat said from the front of the jet. "Agent Aj power down."

"I can't just power down while I'm angry. Especially with this a-hole on the plane." Aj replied as she pointed to the smirking Loki.

After taking in a deep breath and Steve stupidly releasing her. She looked back over at Loki who was staring at her and immediately her long red hair flared up in anger as she went over face to face with Loki and grabbed him by the throat with her hands, and squeezing as hard as she could.

Tony and Steve immediately jumped up with Steve restraing her by the waist and telling her to ease while Tony pulled his helmet back on and held her by the arms.

"I will not repeat myself Aj, you will restrain yourself. Only Loki knows where the teserract is, we need him alive if you want to help Clint. Now if you don't calm down you're never gonna be able to help him, ok?"

Nat's words seemed to reach Aj and she stopped fighting against Steve. "Fine."

The rest of the time on the jet was Aj listening to her music on her phone, until lighting and thunder outside ruined it.

"Where's this coming from?" Natasha asked. Steve looked over at Loki who leaned forward and looked around.

"What's the matter? Scared of a little lightning?" Steve asked.

"I'm not _overly_ fond of what follows." Loki said looking to the sky.

"Good." Aj was happy he could suffer.

Suddenly something landed on the plane. The group looked up. Natasha sped up. Steve ran for something, he grabbed his cowl while Tony grabbed his helmet which attached itself to the suit. Tony pushed a button and opened the ramp of the jet.

"What are you doing?" Steve asked. Thor entered, jumping down on the ramp. Loki looked terrified. He hit Tony away, causing him to fall on Steve. Aj boldly stepped between Loki and Thor. Loki looked at her like she'd gone mad and Thor simply slapped her out of the way before he grabbed Loki by the neck and jumped out of the plane.

"And now there's that guy." Tony said.

"Another Asgardian?" Natasha asked.

"That guy's a friendly?" Steve asked.

"Great just great." Aj said sarcastically afetr she got from being slapped into a wall. Luckily she landed on her head.

"Doesn't matter. If he frees Loki or kills him, the Tesseract's lost." Tony said. He turned and got ready to jump off the jet to chase after Thor.

"Stark we need a plan of attack!" Steve shouted.

"I have a plan. Attack." Tony suddenly jumped out of the jet and chased after Thor, Steve grabbed a parachute to follow.

"I'd sit this one out, Cap." Natasha said.

"I don't see how I can." Steve said as he pulled it on.

"These guys come from legends, they're basically Gods." Natasha said.

"There's only one God, ma'am. And I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that." Steve strapped on the chute, grabbed his shield, and dived out the plane, head first.

"Stay out of this one." Natasha said at Aj, but she was broken down by the puppy dog face and because she didn't want to deal with Aj complaining about not being able to go. "Fine but don't destroy too much."

"If I don't make it, send my porn stash to Patchy. If I do make it prepare to not do any walking next week, you won't be able to. Ok, bye-bye, love you." Aj said as she she stuck her tongue out at Nat before jumping out of the plane without a parachute.

 _Please review and comment. But remember to keep it positive people._


	6. Chapter 6

"Hey that's en-" Captain America said but was cut off by a black and red blur zooming passed him.

"YEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWW!" Aj said as she broke through the forest trees, following the trail of destruction behind her. Then when she finally stopped she crashed into Thor, knocking both of them backwards.

"Blegh, why does dirt have to be so dirty. Damn, I really liked this shirt. Now its all frayed and ripped. -sigh- Now what am I supposed to do again." Aj asked herself but then she noticed the other avengers. "Oh hey guys, what I miss?"

Aj was ignorant to the fact that she hit the hammer weilding or that he was now about swing her.

"Tis you the one who scarred my brother. Thou are either a brave warrior or a fool." Thor said as he held Aj by the scruff.

"Listen blonde pretty boy, the other pretty boy just got his butt handed to him by me and Cap so if you're anything like him I suggest you surrender before I pull your brain out through your eyeball." Aj stares back at Thor and replies.

"You dare suggest that Thor, Son of Odin surrender? Have at thee" Thor replies and raises his hammer. With one hit to the skull Aj was slammed face first into the ground.

"Oh dear you really put your foot in it this time, Shakespeare." Tony commented. Iron Man shoots a repulsor at Thor knocking him over before he could hit Aj again.

Aj lifts herself from the ground, wipes her face, and spits out the dirt in her mouth. Then comes at Thor with a charging punch which smashes into Thor with the same force of the hammer hit he gave her, which sent Thor flying into a tree.

"Take that, ya bastard."

When he gets back up, she realizes his strength she begins to step back and mutters "Oh boy" and narrowly avoids being hit by Thor's hammer by Captain America throwing his shield to protect her.

"That's enough!" Cap said as he makes his in between Aj and Thor. "Just calm down, put the hammer down."

"Uh, yep, no, bad call he loves his-" Iron Man said before he knocked away by Thor.

"Aw crap." Aj knew where this was going. She ran ahead trying to stop it before something could happen. Thor replies by slamming down his hammer against Captain America's shield releasing a shockwave grounding all four heroes.

"Uhhh, who hit me over the head with the liberty bell?" Aj said as she rubbed her ringing ears. The first observation Thor makes as he looks at Aj is "By my father's beard you are strong mighty warrior."

"Everyone okay?" Aj asks as she recieves grunts. "Good. Now what in the name of all that is tasty do you bastards think you're doing?!" Before any of them could comment Aj shut them up with a death glare. "I want all your asses on the quinjet now or I will kick anyone who doesn't in the ball so hard you never walk again GOT IT!" Aj said as her eyes and hair flashed with fire.

The boys stood motionless for another moment before Aj could scream, she was cut off by Loki's laughter. Aj narrowed her eyes at the chuckling god of mischief. His laughter quickly stopped when Aj's foot connected with his groin. The god of mischief was now withering in pain on the ground clutching his berries.

"ANYMORE COMMENTS!?" Aj barked at Cap, Iron Man and Thor, who just nervously shook their heads. "Good, NOW GET ON THE QUINJET?!"

When they were all back on the jet, Natasha noticed how the men distanced themeselves from the happily skipping Aj as she bragged the injured Loki by his shirt.

"Hi Natty," Aj said as she threw Loki onto his seat, then ran up and wrapped her arms around Natasha's neck giving the spy a peck on the lips, drawing the attention of all the others in the jet.

"Good to see you too,Aj." Natasha replied with a small smile.

"Did you bring a spare shirt for me?" Aj asked. Natasha handed her a shirt with a'here you go' then went back to piloting. "Thanks."

Without warning and hesitation Aj pulled off her 'A' shirt and replaced it with another cropped shirt that had HUGGER written on it in a blood pattern. Aj then hops back to her to seat and sitting crisscross as she listens to music on her phone, not noticing the red faced Steve or grinning Tony and Loki.

"So~ no bra, eh?" Tony comments as he smirks at Aj.

"Or panties, Tin Man." Aj said, not looking up from her phone as she blasted her music so she wouldn't have to deal with them anymore. The rest of the ride back to the Helicarrier was silent.


	7. Chapter 7

Loki was brought to the Helicarrier. As he was brought past Bruce's lab he began to smirk. Bruce took off his glasses and watched him go by. Aj was following behind but stopped to enter the lab with Loki sceptar in her hands.

"Lookie what I got!" Aj laughed as she waved around sceptar like some toy. "Bippity boppity boo~"

"Maybe you shouldn't-"

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Aj had bitten the sceptar which instantly sent out a shockwave of energy through her. She fell behind a desk and Bruce rushed towards the desk.

"Whoo~ What a headrush!" Aj instantly sprang to her feet, her hair that was standing straight up, her eyes charged blue, and her body twitching.

"...Are you okay?" Bruce strained, not understanding what exactly happened.

"Good. Better than good. Great. No, awesome. No-"

"I get it." Bruce smiled at her in relief. Aj placed to sceptar on the stand. Then quickly turned to Bruce with a wide smile.

"Hey, wanna watch Fury interrogate?" Aj did finger quotes. "It'll be super fun~"

"Uh, sure." Bruce said with a nod before walking over. Aj smiled and the two left.

"What happened to your hair?" Nat asked as she looked at the energy charged Aj, that looked like she got a hairstyle from the Bride of Frankenstein.

"She bit the sceptar." Bruce answered.

"She bit the sceptar?" Steve asked, not quite understanding if it was literal or some kind of slang.

"She took Loki's sceptar and sank her teeth into it. It shocked her."

"Oh yes it did. Gave me quite the shock govner." Aj spoke in her bad english uppercrust accent. Her hair began to calm and her flashed back to brown. "Now let the torture begin."

Loki was contained in a large, round, glass cell.

"In case it's unclear, you try to escape, you so much as scratch that glass," Fury said. He pressed a button which opened up a huge whole in the middle of Loki's cell. Loki walked to the edge to look down. "Thirty thousand feet, straight down in a steel trap. You get how that works?" Fury pointed at Loki. "Ant." He then pointed at the button which would drop Loki into the steel trap. "Boot." Loki laughed.

"It's an impressive cage. Not built, I think, for me." Loki said.

"Built for something a lot stronger than you." Fury said.

"Oh, I've heard." Loki looked into the camera through which Aj and the others were watching the interrogation on the monitor. "A mindless beast, makes play he's still a man." Loki said. "How desperate are you? You call on such lost creatures to defend you?"

"How desperate am I? You threaten my world with war. You steal a force you can't hope to control. You talk about peace and you kill because it's fun. You have made me very desperate. You might not be glad that you did."

"Ooh. It burns you to come so close. To have the Tesseract, to have power, unlimited power. And for what? A warm light for all mankind to share, and then to be reminded what real power is."

"Well, let me know if 'Real Power' wants a magazine or something." Fury walked off leaving Loki in his glass cell.

"He really grows on you, doesn't he?" Bruce asked with a smile, crossing his arms, after the group stopped watching the interrogation.

"Like a cavity." Aj commented.

"Loki's gonna drag this out." Steve said. "So, Thor, what's his play?"

"He has an army called the Chitauri, that none of Asgard nor any world know." Thor said. "He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the earth, in return, I suspect, for the Tesseract."

"An army… from outer space." Steve said.

"Cool. Take me too your leader." Aj said as she did the ET finger thing to Natasha, which got strange looks from the others.

"So he's building another portal." Bruce said snapping out of his confusion. "That's what he needs Erik Selvig for."

"Selvig?" Thor asked.

"He's an astrophysicist." Bruce explained.

"He's a friend." Thor said.

"Loki has him under some kind of spell, along with one of ours." Natasha said.

"It would be simpler if I just tear his legs off. I'm just saying." Aj said with a shrug. That got her a slap upside the head from Nat.

"That won't solve anything, Aj. I wanna know why Loki let us take him. He's not leading an army from here." Steve said.

"With the way you dummies left him unguarded during your spat, he obviously could have gotten away." Aj interjected. "We didn't beat him; he surrendered. He has to be planning something. Probably something big and something bad. I mean, I kicked him in in the goolies and he didn't even whine."

 _'At least I think it was his goolies.'_ Aj thought, she wasn't so sure with Loki being an alien, he could possibly have his man-parts in his foot.

"I don't think we should be focusing on Loki." Bruce said. "That guy's brain is a bag full of cats, you could smell crazy on him." Bruce was cut off by Thor.

"Have care how you speak. Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard, and he's my brother."

"He killed eighty people in two days." Natasha pointed out.

"Slow day." Aj muttered to herself.

"…He's adopted." Thor added.

"I think it's about the mechanics." Bruce said. "Iridium, what do they need the Iridium for?" Tony and Coulson came walking in.

"It's a stabilizing agent." Tony said. He spoke to Phil quietly. "I'm just saying, pick a weekend. I'll fly you to Portland. Keep love alive." Phil walked away. Tony addressed everyone else. "Means the portal won't collapse on itself, like it did at S.H.I.E.L.D." He looked at Thor. "No hard feelings Point Break, you've got a mean swing." Tony said to him before patting his arm with the back of his hand. Thor gave Tony a look as he walked to the control panels. "Also, it means the portal can open as wide, and stay open as long, as Loki wants." Tony said. He looked at a S.H.I.L.D. personel. "Ah, raise the mizzen mast, ship the topsails." He said. "That man is playing Gallaga!" Tony said pointing to a guy who was in fact playing Gallaga.

"I thought we all knew that." Aj said and fell out her chair laughing like an insane person. Steve looked at Aj then Tony in confusion and looked to where he pointed. "He thought we wouldn't notice, but we did." Tony looked at one of the computer monitors in front of him and covered one eye. "How does Fury even see these?" He asked.

"He turns." Agent Hill said.

"Sounds exhausting." Tony said. "The rest of the raw materials, Agent Barton can get his hands on pretty easily. Only major component he still needs is a power source. A high energy density, something to kick start the cube." Tony said.

"When did you become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?" Agent Hill asked.

"Last night. The packet, Selvig's notes, the Extraction Theory papers. Am I the only one who did the reading?" Tony asked.

"Does Loki need any particular kind of power source?" Steve asked.

"He got to heat the cube to a hundred and twenty million Kelvin just to break through the Coulomb barrier." Bruce said.

"Unless, Selvig has figured out how to stabilize the quantum tunneling effect." Tony said.

"Well, if he could do that he could achieve Heavy Ion Fusion at any reactor on the planet." Bruce said.

"Finally, someone who speaks English."

"Is that what just happened?" Steve asked as Tony and Bruce shook hands. Nat settled Aj down and got her back in her chair.

"It's good to meet you, Dr. Banner." Tony said. "You're work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled. And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage-monster." Tony deadpanned. Aj gave a thumbs up to the rage monster comment.

"Thanks." Bruce said awkwardly.

"Dr. Banner is only here to track the cube. I was hoping you might join him and Aj." Fury said.

"Let's start with that stick of his. It may be magical, but it works an awful lot like a HYDRA weapon." Steve said.

"It definately tasted bad, I can tell you that. I also would recommend that no touch it unless you want a brain massage." Aj added.

"I don't know about that, but it is powered by the cube." Fury said. "And I'd like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys."

"Monkeys? I do not understand-" Thor said.

"I do!" Steve said a bit too proudly. Tony rolled his eyes. "I understood that reference."

"Cute." Aj said.

"Shall we play, doctor, shorty?" Tony asked looking at Bruce.

"This way, sir." Bruce said.

"I'll meet you two there."

The guy who was playing Gallaga started playing again as soon as Tony and Bruce left. Aj walked over to Steve.

"We need to have a serious movie marathon night fro you." She said. He looked up at her and blinked. "You're like Temperence from Bones." Steve looked adorably confused. Aj sighed. "You got to go from Stan Smith to Peter Griffin." Aj explained. Steve blinked at her once again. "Seriously." She said and looked away from him, she noticed Thor looking equally confused. "That's it; once this whole thing is over we're going to have a tv and movie marathon. Be prepared I'm going to hit you with some Jaws, Star Wars, Snow White, Forrest Gump ..." Aj left for the lab listing off movies that she was going to have to show Steve and Thor, who just looked confused.

"Good luck with that." Natasha scoffed.

"Don't harsh me my movie mellow, Natty." Aj said. Natasha sighed.

Tony and Bruce were in the lab. Loki's scepter was on a stand on the table, Bruce was scanning it.

"The gamma readings are definitely consistent with Selvig's reports on the Tesseract." Bruce said. "But it's gonna take weeks to process. Also not knowing what else it would do when someone touches it after Aj bit it."

"If we bypass their mainframe and direct a reroute to the Homer cluster, we can clock this around six hundred teraflops." Tony said pressing some buttons on a large device. Bruce chuckled.

"All I packed was a tooth brush."

"I can lend you some clothes if thats what you need, but they might be a little tight." Aj said as she walked in and planted herself on a desk.

"Your clothes are already pretty tight." Tony was again checking her out.

"My eyes are up here, Anthony."

"I know."

"I will-"

"You know, you guys should come by Stark Towers sometime." Tony said quickly turning his gaze to Bruce before Aj could rip his face off. "Top ten floors, all R and D. You'd love it, it's candy land."

"Thanks, but the last time I was in New York I kind of broke...Harlem." Bruce said sheepishly.

"And if there isn't any money or actual candy than I don't care." Aj crossed her arms and legs. "Unless that hot girlfrined of yours wants to have some real 'fun'."

"Well, I promise a stress free environment and I will personally see to it that Pepper considers your offer Scarles." Tony said walking around him. "No tension. No surprises." Suddenly he poked Banner with an electrical shock device.

"Ow!" Bruce grunted. Tony looked at Bruce closely. Bruce held a hand to his side and looked at Tony with a what-is-wrong-with-you look.

"Nothing?" Tony asked. He then shocked Aj which only made her angry. She snatched shock device and examined it, which just resulted in more shocks.

"Are you nuts?" Steve asked as he walked in.

"Jury's out." Tony said before looking back at Bruce. "You really have got a lid on it, haven't you?" Tony asked. "What's your secret? Mellow jazz? Bongo drums? Huge bag of weed?"

"Is everything a joke to you?" Steve asked.

"Funny things are." Tony said pointing to Steve. Aj was waiting for the right time to shock Stark.

"Threatening the safety of everyone on this ship isn't funny." Steve said. He looked at Bruce. "No offense, Doc."

"No, it.. it's alright. I wouldn't have come aboard if I couldn't handle pointy things." Bruce said.

"Actually its more of a shocky thing." Aj corrected as she got shocked again.

"You're tiptoeing, big man. You need to strut." Tony said walking over to a table.

"Word." Aj nodded with her cool guy pose.

"And you need to focus on the problem, Mr. Stark." Steve said.

"You think I'm not?" Tony asked picking up a bag of blueberries. "Why did Fury call us and why now? Why not before? Why did he bring in such heavy hitters like greenie and hothead?" He asked nodding to Aj and Bruce. "What isn't he telling us? I can't do the equation unless I have all the variables."

"You think Fury's hiding something?" Steve asked.

"He's a spy. Captain, he's _the_ spy. His secrets have secrets." Tony threw a small handful of blueberries into his mouth then pointed to Bruce. "It's bugging them too, isn't it?"

"I will not agree nor deny that." Aj said as she averted her eyes.

"Uh...I just wanna finish my work here, and..."

"Doctor? Aj?" Steve asked. Bruce hesitated and took off his glasses.

"'A warm light for all mankind', Loki's jab at Fury about the cube."

"'Force you can't hope to control', that might actually be true. What is Patchy even planning to do with that much energy? I don't think it can be good." Aj looked at her hands.

"I heard it." Steve said pointing at Tony.

"Well, I think that was meant for you." Bruce pointed to Tony who then pointed the bag of blueberries at him. Bruce took some. "Even if Barton didn't tell Loki about the tower, it was still all over the news."

"The Stark Tower?" Steve asked. "That big ugly..." Tony looked at him. "building in New York?"

"It's powered by Stark Reactors, self-sustaining energy source. That building will run itself for what, a year?" Bruce said.

"That's just the prototype." Tony said. "I'm kind of the only name in clean energy right now."

"So why didn't S.H.I.E.L.D. bring him in on the Tesseract project?" Bruce asked. "I mean, what are they doing in the energy business in the first place?"

"I should probably look into that once my decryption program finishes breaking into all of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secure files." Tony said.

"I'm sorry, did you say...?" Steve asked.

"Jarvis has been running it since I hit the bridge." Tony said showing Steve a small device. "In a few hours we'll know every dirty secret S.H.I.E.L.D. has ever tried to hide." He pointed the bag of blueberries in his hand towards Steve. "Blueberry?" Tony asked.

"Yet you're confused about why they didn't want you around?" Steve asked.

"An intelligence organization that fears intelligence? Historically, not awesome." Tony said.

"He has a point." Aj muttered to Bruce who nodded.

"I think Loki's trying to wind us up." Steve said. "This is a man who means to start a war, and if don't stay focused, he'll succeed. We have orders, we should follow them."

"Following is not really my style." Tony said putting more blueberries into his mouth. He looked at Aj and pointed the bag at her, raising his eyebrows slightly as a silent inquiry. Aj refused.

"And you're all about style, aren't you?" Steve asked.

"Of the people in this room, which one is: a) wearing a spangly outfit, and b) not of use?" Tony asked. Aj was about to raise her hand, but was stopped by Bruce.

"Steve, tell me none of this smells a little funky to you." Bruce asked.

"Just find the cube." Looking angry, Steve walked out of the lab. Aj watched him go then looked back at Tony as he spoke.

"That's the guy my dad never shut up about? Wondering if they shouldn't have kept him on ice." Tony said.

 _'Ah...daddy issues. That explains a lot.'_ Aj thought.

"The guy's not wrong about Loki; he does have the jump on us." Bruce said.

"What he's got is an ACME dynamite kit. It's gonna blow up in his face, and I'm gonna be there when it does." Tony said.

"Yeah. And I'll read all about it." Bruce said.

"I'll laugh my ass off when it happens, then punch pretty boy in the face." Aj stated with a smirk as she imagined it.

"Uh-huh. Or you'll be suiting up like the rest of us." Tony said as Aj nodded.

"Ah, see. I don't get a suit of armor. I'm exposed; like a nerve. It's a nightmare."

"You know, I've got a cluster of shrapnel, trying every second to crawl its way into my heart." Tony tapped blue light on his chest plate. "This stops it. This little circle of light. It's part of me now, not just armor. It's a terrible privilege."

"I absorb energy and store it in my body. Explosions, electricity, sound attacks or kinetic energy my body takes it in, can convert it, and release it when needed whether I mean to or not." Aj gestured to her eyes. "I will always survive but hard to guarantee the people around me. Even more when I become overcharged. I'm pretty much a unpredictable bomb. Powerful but dangerous.."

"But you can control it."

"Because I learned how." Aj and Tony said at the same time.

"It's different."

"Hey, I've read all about your accident." Tony swiped the screen Bruce was looking at making everything go to one side so the two could look at each other. "That much gamma exposure should have killed you." Tony said.

"So you're saying that the Hulk… the Other Guy, saved my life? That's nice. It's a nice sentiment. Saved it for what?" Bruce asked.

"I guess we'll find out." Tony said.

"You may not enjoy that." Bruce said.

"There a lot of stuff in life people won't enjoy, but you can make it enjoyable with the right attitude." Aj commented.

"And you just might." Tony said. Aj than proceeded to shock Tony with the device.

"Now tell me you didn't enjoy that." Aj and Bruce laughed. "Don't mess with the gamma team."

"Duly noted." Tony said with a nod. "Gamma team?"

"Gotta problem with it!?" She snapped tired of being all mushy and comforting.

"Calm down." Tony said putting up his hands. He glanced back at Bruce. "Looks like you're not the only one who has an anger problem." Aj glared at Tony who looked back at her, backing away as she crushed the device like a tin can. "Remind me not to piss her off or hand her something expensive."

"Get back to work!" Aj commanded as Tony and Bruce quickly resumed working, not wanting to be next thing crushed by Aj.

Natasha and Aj visited Loki in his cell.

"There's not many people that can sneak up on me." Loki said.

"But you figured I'd come." Natasha said.

"I followed her." Aj explained before going silent. Her normally smiling face was now stern and cold like Natasha's.

"After. After whatever tortures Fury can concoct, you two would appear as friends, as a balm. And I would cooperate."

"We wanna know what you've done to Agent Barton."

"I'd say I've expanded his mind."

"And once you've won. Once you're king of the mountain. What happens to his mind?"

"Is this love, Agent Romanoff? Because I was sure you fancied the person standing beside you."

"Love is for children. I owe him a debt."

"Tell me."

"Before I worked for S.H.I.E.L.D., I uh...well, I made a name for myself. I have a very specific skillset. I didn't care who I used it for, or on. I got on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar in a bad way. Agent Barton was sent to kill me, he made a different call."

"And what will you two do if I vow to spare him?"

"Not let you out." Aj answered.

"Ah, no. But I like this. Your world in the balance, and you both bargain for one man?"

"Regime's fall everyday. I tend not to weep over that, I'm Russian, or I was."

"And I could careless for others. I was never the humanity-comes-first person."

"And what are you now?"

"It's really not that complicated. I've got red in my ledger, I'd like to wipe it out. Same goes for her." Natasha gestured to Aj.

"Can you?" Loki asked. "Can you wipe out that much red? Drakoff's daughter? Sao Paulo? The hospital file? Barton told me everything. Your ledger is dripping, it's gushing red, and you think saving a man no more virtuous than yourself will change anything? This is the basest sentimentality. This is a child at prayer. Pathetic! You lie and kill in the service of liars and killers. You pretend to be separate, to have your own code, something that makes up for the horrors. But they are a part of you, and they will never go away." Loki said. "I won't barter Barton! Not until I make him kill both of you. Slowly, intimately, in every way he knows you fear. And then he'll wake just long enough to see his good work, and when he screams I'll split his skull!" Natasha turned away from Loki. "This is my bargain, you mewling quims!" Natasha sounded like she was weeping. Aj appeared to be crying into her hands.

"You're a monster."

"Oh, no. You brought the monster." Suddenly Natasha and Aj turned to face Loki again but with no evidence of tears.

"So, Banner? That's your play?"

"What?" Natasha talked into her earpiece.

"Loki means to unleash the Hulk. Keep Banner in the lab, We are on the way. Set the door locked." Natasha turned to Loki again. "Thank you, for your cooperation." She turned and walked off.

"See ya,sucker." Aj flipped off Loki and followed Natasha out.


	8. Chapter 8

Aj POV

After tricking pretty boy into revealing his plan Natasha headed somehwere that probably had something to with briefing o warning or whatever. I decided to check on Snarky Starky and Dr.B.

"What the heck are you guys doing?" I asked. They were obviously hacking into the computer system to find out what Fury was planning.

"We wer-"

"Nevermind I don't want to know. If your discovered its your head on chopping block, not mine." I am not involved and not seeing any of this. All I see is Stark playing some wacked out computer game.

The door opened, and a very angry Fury shouted, "What are you doing, Mr. Stark?" He moved his eye down slightly to see me siiting on the desk not to far from Stark. "Aj."

"Patchy," I smiled sweetly. He is so funny when he's angry.

"Kind of been wondering the same thing about you," Tony answered, moving away from the monitor to stand behind me and glare at Fury. He was using me as a human shield. Why am I not surprised?

"You're supposed to be locating the Tesseract."

"We are," Bruce piped up. "The model's locked and we're sweeping for the signature now. When we get a hit, we'll have the location within half a mile."

"And you'll get your cube back," Tony shrugged. "No muss, no fuss."

"What's Phase Two?" I tilted my head and feigning innocence. Time to spill your guts Fury before I spill them for you.

Fury glared furiously at me as the door opened behind him and Steve walked in, dropping a huge… gun… thing?... on the table by the door. "Phase Two is S.H.I.E.L.D uses the cube to make weapons."

"Rogers," Fury turned from me to speak to Steve, "we gathered everything related to the Tesseract." Tony's computer blipped again, and I looked it over before scoffing loudly. "That does not mean we-"

"Save it, Patchy," I cut him off and turned the screen so he could see it, even though he knew damn well what was on it. "Beep Beep. That answer is incorrect. Please try again."

"I was wrong, Director," Steve shook his head. "The world hasn't changed a bit."No shit, Cappy."

Thor and Natasha came into the lab then, both looking pissed as they stood to the right of Fury. "Did you know about this?" Banner asked Natasha.

"You want to think about removing yourself from this environment, Doctor?"

"I was in Calcutta, I was pretty well removed."

"Loki's manipulating you."

"And you've been doing what, exactly?"

Natasha scoffed at that. "You didn't come here because Aj and I batted our eyelashes at you."

"Yeah, and I'm not leaving because suddenly you're a little twitchy."

"What I want to know," I cut in, taking a step away from Tony as all eyes turned to me, "is why the hell S.H.I.E.L.D is using the Tesseract to build fucking weapons? Because I didn't sign up for that."

Fury pointed to Thor and me. "Because of them!"

3rd POV

"Me?" Thor and Aj seemed stunned.

"Last year earth had a visitor from another planet who had a grudge match that leveled a small town. There was also a unknown person discovered to have dangerously strong powers that could level a large compound facility. We learned that not only are we not alone, but we are hopelessly, _hilariously_ outgunned even by people native to our planet."

"Didn't he end up saving everyone though?" Aj pointed out quick to draw the attention off her. Thor pointed at Aj then Fury with a nod.

"I did! My people want nothing but peace with your planet!"

"But you're not the only people out there, are you? And, you're not the only threat." Fury said. "The world's filling up with people who can't be matched, they can't be controlled."

"People aren't able to be controlled," Aj growled out her eyes flashing blue with energy. That was a sore spot for her. "The last time you tried to control 'someone', you threw him in a giant glass cage after he de-eyeballed a guy in room full of people."

"Your work with the Tesseract is what drew Loki to it," Thor pulled Fury's attention away from her, "and his allies. "It is the signal to all the realms that the earth is ready for a higher form of war."

"A higher form?" Steven almost stepped back, wondering what could be worse.

"You forced our hand," Fury spat. "We had to come up with something-"

"Nuclear deterrent!" Tony said. "'Cause that always calms everything right down." Everyone became hostile and began cutting each other off.

"Remind me again how you made your fortune, Stark?" Fury asked.

"I'm sure if he still made weapons, Stark would be neck deep-" Steve started.

"Wait-Wait! Hold on! How is this nowabout me?" Tony asked.

"I'm sorry, isn't everything?" Steve asked.

"I thought humans were more evolved than this." Thor said. Everyone began arguing over each other. Fury turned to Thor.

" _Excuse me_ , did we come to your planet and blow stuff up?" He asked.

"You treat your champions with such intrust." Thor said.

"You're not my champion!" Fury said.

"You furious? I'm furious." Tony said to Steve.

"Are you all really that naïve?" Natasha asked, looking around the room. "S.H.I.E.L.D monitors potential threats."

He pointed to Steve. "He's on that list? Is he above or below angry bees?"

Aj stepped back towards Bruce, pissed. Pissed at Fury for keeping secrets, pissed at Loki for calling her flat, pissed at Tony for being a perv, pissed that S.H.I.E.L.D wanted to control people… The list went on, and it was all making Aj's energy flare up. She beginning to become unstable.

"You speak of control, yet you court chaos!"

"Exactly!" Aj shoted, throwing my arms in the air and smiling like a psycho. "S.H.I.E.L.D likes to pretend what their doing is for the greater good with their agents and their gadgets and their fucking flying ship, when really they're not any better than that sick sociopath Loki!"

"HEY!" Thor and Fury shouted at Aj.

"Don't try to act like its not true!"

"It's his MO, isn't it? I mean, what are we, a team? No, no, no. We're a chemical mixture that makes chaos. We're- we're a time bomb." Bruce said.

"You just figured that out right fucking now, Dr.B!"

"You need to step away." Fury said.

"Why shouldn't the guy let off a little steam?" Tony asked.

"Yeah!" Aj defended.

"You damn well know why!" Steve said. "Back off!"

"Oh, I'm starting to want you to make me." Tony said.

"Would you two shut it?!" Aj growled.

"Yeah, big man in a suit of armor. Take that off, what are you?" Steve asked Tony.

"Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist." Tony listed.

"I know guys with none of that worth ten of you. I've seen the footage. The only thing you really fight for is yourself. You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you."

"I think I would just cut the wire." Tony said.

"Always a way out. You know, you may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero."

"A hero, like you? You're a laboratory experiment, special about you came out of a bottle."

"Who the fuck cares!? Both of you guys are being stupid!"

"Great comeback, sweetheart." Tony said with a small smirk.

"I will pound you into next week, Stark." Aj snarled, her arms flashing with blue energy.

"Highly unlikely." Tony said to her. He looked at Steve. "Got a chick fighting your battles for you now?" Aj's eyes were almost completely. Steve smirked.

"Put on the suit, let's go a few rounds." Steve said. Thor laughed.

"You people are so petty..." He looked at Aj. "...and tiny."

"You wanna go, Blondie. I will kick your ass back to that alien star you hail from." Aj said as she turned to Thor. Thor scoffed. "According to Patchy all of this is your fault so don't say we're petty!"

"You were on my side a moment ago." Thor said. "I was never a threat to your world."

"But you being here caused the whole threat in the first place!" Aj pointed out. "Getting people like him to take goddamn action!" She pointed to Fury.

"People like me?" He asked.

"He's the one who decided to act." Thor said. "I didn't intentionally bring a threat to your world."

"You came and it fucking followed!? How is that not your fault?!"

"I didn't want to come here!"

"Oh that's right, daddy kicked your bratty ass out. So, if anything its the All-fucking-Father's fault."

"Watch your tongue." Thor said with a glare, pointing at her. "Do not disrespect my father."

"Then don't fucking judge us, you're no better than we are." Aj said. By now her eyes were almost completely blue and energy surged from her clenched fists.

"I beg to differ." Thor said crossing his arms. Aj was about to punch him.

"Yeah, this is a team." Bruce said.

"Agent Romanoff, would you escort Dr. Banner back to his-" Fury started.

"Where? You rented my room!" Bruce said cynically.

"Bruce…" Aj said softly reaching her hand out to him slightly. He looked at her.

"The cell was just-" Fury started but Bruce's head snapped back to him as he cut him off.

"In case you needed to kill me. But you _can't, I know, I tried_!" Everyone looked at Bruce in shock. "I got low. I didn't see an end so I put a bullet in my mouth and the Other Guy spit it out. So I moved on, I focused on helping other people. I was good until you dragged me back into this freak show and put everyone here at risk. You wanna know my secret, Agent Romanoff?" He asked looking at her. "You wanna know how I stay calm?" Everyone was watching Bruce, Fury and Natasha reached for their guns, Aj froze her energy still fizzling around her.

"Doctor Banner, put down the scepter." Steve said. Banner looked down, surprised, to see the spear was in his hand. The monitor made a noise, signaling the Tesseract had been located. Banner put the scepter back on the table and walked over to the screen on the other side of the room.

"Got it!" Fury said.

"Sorry, kids." Bruce said. "You don't get to see my party trick after all."

"Located the Tesseract?" Thor asked.

"I can get there faster." Tony said.

"Look all of us-" Steve started.

"The Tesseract belongs on Asgard; no human is a match for it." Thor said. Tony turned to leave but Steve held him back.

"You're not going alone!" Steve said. Tony smacked his hand.

"You gonna stop me?" He asked.

"Put on the suit, let's find out!"

"I'm not afraid to hit an old man."

"Put on the suit."

"Knock it off, both of you!" Aj snapped stepping between the two and putting her hands up towards each of them.

"Oh my god." Bruce said looking up from the computer.

"What is it?" Aj asked about to walk over. Everyone in the lab suddenly went flying in different directions as one of the engines blew up. Fury and Thor fell to the ground behind a table. Tony and Steve were blown to the entry way while Bruce, Aj and Natasha flew out the lab and into the lower equipment room. Tony and Steve sat up.

"Put on the suit." Steve said.

"Yeah." Steve helped Tony up and they ran out of the lab.

People were running around, yelling and grabbing guns while the monitors were beeping wildly. S.H.I.E.L.D. Techs were panicking. S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents were gearing up and running to their stations.

"All hands engaged." The intercom said. The place was hectic.

Fury sat up, groaning.

"Hill!" He said into his earpiece. Hill was standing her command area. She was looking at a screen.

"Number Three engine is down." She said.

"We've been hit." A female tech said. Hill ran over to a bridge tech's station.

"Did we get a run in? Talk to me."

"We got a fire in Engine Three." He said. "The line looks mostly in tact but it's impossible to get out there to make repairs while we're in the air."

"We lose one more engine we won't be." Hill said. She turned on her earpiece. "Somebody's gotta get outside and patch that engine."

"Stark, you copy that?" Fury asked.

"I'm on it." Tony said.

"Coulson, initiate defensive lock down in the contingent center. Then get to the armory." Fury said. "Romanoff!"

Natasha's leg was trapped under a very large pipe. She tired pulling herself painfully free. She groaned in pain and gave up. Bruce was in the corner; he was fine but was breathing heavily.

"Look agent Romanoff, right now angry man is our priority. If Bruce Banner Hulks out I need you and Aj there to hold him off cause you're the only one that can survive against the Hulk".

"Okay." Natasha said into her earpiece.

She looked at Aj who sat up holding her head. She looked just fine but her eyes kept switching from blue to red to brown probably absording the force of the explosion. She looked at Natasha and gave a weak thumbs up. Nat saw Bruce starting to turn green and while trying to get herself from under the wreckage she tried to calm Bruce telling him "Fight it Bruce I know you can" but it was to no avail as his muscles began bulging through his shirt. "We're gonna be okay. Right? I swear we will get you out of this, you will walk away".

At that point Bruce turned and growled "You swear!"

His voice had the change in it - the bitter amusement was morphing to a growled threat. Bruce began to transform into the Hulk, shirt tearing, he threw himself away from Natasha and Aj, who looked shaken, then he turned to look at them. He locked eyes with Aj before transforming - just as the lights went out.

"Natty!" Aj got up, carrying Natasha with her. The Hulk looked at them. Aj ran up the catwalk stairs as the Hulk chased after them.

"Keep him busy." Natasha said to Aj as she set Natasha down. Natasha swung over the catwalk and rolled under a turbine, Aj doing the same, as the Hulk tore down the stairs. The two women jumped through small places as the Hulk grabbed after them, roaring loudly. Natasha fired her gun at a pipe over his head and gas shot out. She and Aj ran along a narrow passage, the Hulk crashing through behind them. He came up on them fast. He caught up to them just as Natasha got off the passage and because he was swinging his arms as he ran he ended up slamming Natasha into the wall.

"You bastard!" Aj snarled as she jumped on to Hulk's shoulders. She cupped his chin and pulled his face back as he was about to backhand Nat. "You are not bitchslapping her! Got it!"

The Hulk began to reach towards her when he was suddenly tackled through a wall by Thor, Aj going with them.

Hulk, Aj, and Thor crashed through the wall. Thor lay on the ground, he looked up, staring down Hulk.

"We are not your enemies, Banner! Try to think!" The Hulk leaps out into the fight bringing his fist down which Thor catches and counters with a strike to the jaw sending the god flying back. Aj gets up and tackles Hulk, knocking both them backwards.

"Scarlet of Letters, buy me a moments time." Thor yells out. He holds out his arm calling Mjolnir to him and Aj distracts Hulk blasting him with energy bolts. She was about to send an energy charged punch, but he grabbed her body and squeezed hard. Aj struggled to get out of the grip, eye and hands glowing brighter and brighter.

"Knock it off." Aj hissed. "You can't crush me, idiot!"

Hulk keeps his grip on Aj, waving her around like a weapon. The Hulk runs right at Thor and at the last second, mjolnir flies into his hand and Thor uppercuts Hulk, who crashes into a fighter jet making him release Aj. Hulk stands up, shaking his head like `what the fuck just happened'. He shakes it off and angrily rips off the back of the jet, and chucks it at Thor, who dodges.

Thor slides and ducks under the tail. Jumping up, he throws Mjölnir with all his strength, knocking the Hulk head over heels. Hulk falls down, hammer in hand. He tries to lift it, but can't. Mjölnir rests atop his hand. Struggle as he may, Hulk wraps his hand around the hammer. The hammer doesn't move. To no avail - he strains with all his might, screams from the effort.

"The hammer ain't gonna move!" Aj jumps up again, kneeing Hulk in the face, he latches onto her arms bringing them face to face.

Aj stares back and says "Hey jolly green, how about a kiss!" She wraps her legs around his neck and plants a quick kiss on his lips. He grabbed Aj off and kept her head clutched in his giant green hand. Thor grabs his hammer, jumps on him, using the hammer as a lock for his chokehold. Hulk tries to pull him off.

"Mmmm phrrr thrrrrr" Aj muffled as she burned Hulk with her energized hands. Hulk's hand clamped harder down on her head and hit Thor with her. Knocking the thunder god off. Hulk continued to beat Thor with Aj, who just continued to fight. Hulk finally released Aj's head when she bit down as hard as he could into his hand and burned his arm with her hands.

"Blegh...that...was...nasty!" Aj gasped out as oxygen filled her lungs as Hulk and Thor continued to fight. A S.H.I.E.L.D. jet flew to where Hulk, Aj and Thor were fighting, seemingly evenly matched.

"Target acquired. Target engaged." The pilot said. He fired his guns toward Hulk. The barrage of bullets bounced off of Hulk.

"Crap! Stop your going to make him madder!" Aj shouts. The pilot pays no attention and keeps shooting then as the bullets draw closer to the Hulk, Aj steps in blocking the Hulk from the high calibre rounds. He roared, running at the window. Hulk crashed through it, leaping at the jet. "Target angry. Target angry!" Hulk landed on the nose of the jet and tore at the metal as it swerved in the air. The jet explodes after the pilot parachutes out. The Hulk plummets to Earth, roaring his swan song.

"Crap! Fuck! Shit! ARGHHH!" Aj screamed in frustration as she kicked the air. They had just lost one of the strongest teammates. When she finally calmed she turned to the blonde god of thunder. "Thor, you okay?"

"Tired but I shall live. I feel that we should find my brother with haste." Thor said as he dusted himself and called his hammer back.

"Crap! I forgot! Hurry let's go!" Thor and Aj raced out to the containment room.


	9. Chapter 9

Thor and Aj run into the detention section where they find Loki escaping.

"NO!" Thor charges at his brother. He was quicker to react than Aj. Loki walks up to him and crouches down to attack, but Thor only goes through him. The false Loki dissipates into nothingness. The real Loki comes out from behind the cell door, which closes on Thor, locking him up. Loki smiles.

"Are you ever not going to fall for that?"

"Let him go, pretty boy!" Aj aims a energy blast at him, only for him to block it with his hand. He then appears behind Aj, holding her wrists in an iron grip and a hand wrapped over her mouth and nose.

"You may have magic, but you have no idea how to use it!"

Thor, in a fit of anger, slams mjolnir onto the glass cell. To his surprise, the cell door only cracks but violently shackes the ship. Loki and his guard stand there in caution.

"The humans think us immortal. Should we test that?" Loki remarks as he stands over the control panel still clutching struggling Aj. Suddenly, guard falls down like a tree. Agent Coulson stands there, holding a phase 2 weapon.

 **"** Move away and release the girl, please." Loki moves away from the switch, but still holds Aj.

 **"** You like this? We started working on the prototype after you sent The Destroyer. Even I don't know what it does. Do you wanna find out?"

"Philly!" Aj watched in horror as Agent Coulson is impaled through the heart with Loki now standing behind him.

"NO!"

Loki sends Agent Coulson against the wall, Aj quickly rushes to his side. Agent Coulson was slumped down, breathing fast. Loki makes his way to the control switch. He gives his brother one last look. Thor looks at him, hopeful. Loki opens the hatch. Thor still hopes. Loki hits the button and Thor drops.

"You're going to lose." a quiet, firm voice said. Aj smiled in relief. Coulson was still alive.

"Am I?" Loki turns to Aj and Phil. Aj instinctively clutches Phil to her chest. She would beat Loki bloody if she wasn't so concerned with keeping Phil from dying.

"It's in your nature."

"Your heroes are scattered, your floating fortress falls from the sky...where is my disadvantage?"

"You lack conviction."

"I don't think I..." Loki was sent flying by Coulson pulling the trigger on gun, sending the god fly though the wall.

"So that's what it does..."

"Don't move!" Aj pleaded as she pressed Coulson's wound with her shirt so he won't lose anymore blood. "You're going to be okay, I'll get you out of here and we'll have one those smarty doctor people patch you up. You'll be back to your same deceptively normal self and I'll keep asking you why SHIELD hasn't made a robot chicken that shoots lasers from its eyes."

"Laser chicken, really?" he chuckled weakly.

"Shut up, Coulsy. It's a good idea!"

"That's better." he smiled. Footsteps sounded and Coulson and Aj turned to see Fury running in. "Sorry, boss. They got rabbited."

Fury kneeled next to them. "Just stay awake. EYES ON ME!"

"No. I'm clocked out here." Coulson shook his head.

"No!" Aj shouted in hysteria and anger, her other hand grabbing his chin and forcing him to look at her. "You are not dying on me, got it!? I won't except it?! I will kill you if you die on me?! Understand?! Don't go towards the light!? They have dead bird people up their?!"

"It's okay." He reached a hand to Aj's wrist. "This was never going to work... if they didn't have something...to..." Agent Coulson looks away and sighs his last breath.

"Phil?! Wake up?! C'mon Phil?!" Aj said as lightly slapped his cheeks. When he didn't respond her slaps became hard and painful. "WAKE THE FUCK UP, PHIL COULSON?! WAKE UP GODDAMMIT?! I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU?! YOU HAVE SURVIVED TOO MUCH TO DIE LIKE THIS?!"

Fury pulled Aj away from Coulson's body, slapping her hard across the face. "He's gone, Aj! Gone!"

Hearing that Aj stopped struggling and just broke down. Her face was buried in her knees as she just shut down her emotions, Coulson's blood still on her shirt. Nick Fury looks on grimly at Coulson. The medical arrived soon.

INT. HELICARRIER MEDICAL ROOM DAY

Barton was strapped down. Natasha was watching over him as Aj rubbed Clint's head as he tries to shake off Loki's mind control. Aj was back to wearing a crop tshirt that was black with a red A on it.

"Clint, you're gonna be alright." Natasha says as she gets up to get a cup of coffee.

"You know that? Is that what you know? I got...I gotta go in though. I gotta flush him out." Clint cried as he regained control of himself. Aj continued to softly rub his temples.

"We don't have that long, it's gonna take time." Aj cooed, trying to keep the mood calming.

"I don't understand. Have you ever had someone take your brain and play? Pull you out and send something else in? Do you know what it's like to be unmade?"

"You know that I do."

"Why am I back? How did you get him out?"

"Cognitive recalibration. I hit you really hard in the head."

"Which is totally unfair to me. I'm the one that does the hitting in the relationship." Aj complained with a baby pout, really upset that she didn't get to hit him.

Clint chuckles. "Thanks." Natasha and Aj unfasten the restraints. "How many agents?"

"Don't. Don't do that to yourself, Clint. This is Loki. This is monsters and magic and nothing we were ever trained for." Natasha explianed.

"And whatever you did was Loki's fault. The Clint I know would never doing anything like this. He would never threaten his own without a really really really good reason. We all know that the killer of the group ain't you or Natty." Aj added as she gave him a hug.

"Loki, he got away?"

"Yeah. I don't suppose you know where?"

"I didn't need to know. I didn't ask. He's gonna make his play soon though. Today."

"We gotta stop him." Aj said, her voice detached as she remembered the event with Coulson.

"Yeah? Who's we?"

"I don't know. Whoever's left."

"As far as I know Banner and Thor have left the bui-, er, sky ship." Aj answered.

"Well, if I put an arrow in Loki's eyesocket, I'd sleep better I suppose."

"Now you sound like you." Natasha and Aj sit next to their partner and friend.

"And~ If it makes you feel any better, I gave Complex a good kick to the balls." Aj said slyly with a huge grin on her face as Clint burst into laughter and Natasha smirked.

"Hahaha. That must of hurt. Hahaha."

"Oh trust me, it did." When Clint stopped laughing he turned serious and looked at Natasha. "But what's wrong with you two. You're a spy and a thief, not soldiers. Now you want to wade into a war. Why? What did Loki do to you?"

"He didn't, I just..." Natasha paused. "I've been compromised. I got red in my ledger. I'd like to wipe it out."

"He...we... I'm bored, angry, and have a score to settle with him. I'm going to settle it with a punch to that prideful pretty boy face." Aj smiled manically as she played out te scenario in her head.

"I'm going to get my weapons ready!" Aj said like a kid on a sugar rush that just found out they were going to Disneyland. She skipped out happily after giving Nat a quick peck on the lips, leaving Natasha and Clint staring.

"Ever worry that she's going to kill us in our sleep and eat our faces." Clint asked casually.

"Sometimes, but the crazy ones are always great in bed." Natasha replied in her regular impassive tone.

"I still don't understand the relationship you two have."

"Get in line. Also Natty have you seem my chainsaw?" Aj stuck her head into the room.

"Regular or bedazzled?"

"Bedazzled." Aj replied with her do-you-really-need to ask face.

"Fourth level weapons room."

"My super happy good time wand?"

"Second level training room."

"My cherry ratty splatty boom-boomstick?"

"Your room."

"Thanks a bunchies. Luv you, my ravishing russian rebel." Aj happily left again.

 _Please review and let me know if you want to know just how Natasha and Aj met and how their complicated relationship started, because I was think of making a separate story for that. Sort of prequel to this story arc. Or maybe a Aj storytime for the other Avengers. See how they react to the dramatic and funny story of lovely lady 'teammates' girl on girl luv. Wink wink nudge nudge._


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